What should you expect in the first 90 days with an agency?
The first 90 days with an agency run in three phases: days 1-30 cover access, audit and tracking fixes; days 31-60 bring a new account structure and first tests; days 61-90 scale what works and set the longer plan. Expect a clear diagnosis, reliable data and measurable first improvements, not an overnight jump.
The question brand owners ask most often after signing with a new ecommerce agency is "when will we see results?" The honest answer depends on what you count as a result. Fixing a broken conversion tag in week three is a result, but it takes time to show up in revenue. This guide breaks the 90 days into phases and tells you what to ask for at each stage.
What should happen in the first week?
Week one is about groundwork. The agency should ask for:
- Account access: Google Ads, Meta Business, GA4, Google Merchant Center, Search Console and your ecommerce admin. Access should be granted to the agency's own users, never by sharing passwords, and you should stay the owner of every account.
- Business data: gross margin by product group, average order value, return rate, promotion calendar and stock position.
- History: what has been tried before, what worked and what didn't.
- A working rhythm: one named owner on each side, a weekly call and an agreed channel.
In Google Ads, access levels are managed by the account owner and can be edited or removed later. In GA4 you need the Administrator role to add users. Granting access from an admin account on your side in week one avoids ownership disputes later.
What should the agency do in the first 30 days?
Month one is audit month. A good agency doesn't rebuild campaigns on day two; it first understands what's there. The problems we see most often surface here: purchases counted twice, a missing Conversions API setup, tags that send no value, a Merchant Center full of disapproved products.
By day 30 you should have a written audit. It should answer: is tracking reliable, where is budget going, which product groups make money and what on the site is blocking conversion? Expect a prioritized action list alongside it.
Some performance wobble this month is normal. When tracking gets fixed, reported conversions can drop. That usually means sales were being overcounted, not that they fell.
What changes in days 31-60?
Month two is for structure and testing. Based on the audit, campaign structure gets simplified, the product feed gets fixed, new creative goes live and the first A/B tests start.
This takes patience. Google says a bid strategy typically needs 1-2 conversion cycles to calibrate to a new goal, and adding or removing campaigns or changing targets can restart learning. An agency that restructures every week may never let the algorithm learn. Batching changes and then waiting usually works better.
What should you expect in days 61-90?
Month three turns the first two months of learning into results. Winning creative and campaigns get scaled and weak ones get switched off. By the end you should be able to answer one question clearly: which channel can spend how much budget efficiently, at what profit target?
Hold a 90 day review at the end of month three. Discuss the next quarter's plan, not only the metrics.
The 90 day plan at a glance
| Period | Main focus | What the agency delivers | What you provide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Access and discovery | Access checklist, working rhythm | Access, margins, promotion calendar |
| Days 1-30 | Audit and tracking | Written audit, priority list | Fast approvals, access to the site team |
| Days 31-60 | Structure and testing | New account structure, test plan, first results | Creative input and product knowledge |
| Days 61-90 | Scaling | Scaled winners, quarterly plan | Budget decisions, stock plan |
Which metrics matter in the first 90 days?
Different phases need different metrics. Judging an agency on dashboard ROAS in month one is misleading, because that number moves as tracking gets fixed.
- Days 1-30: tracking accuracy. Is the gap between ad platform sales and real orders in your store admin closing?
- Days 31-60: leading indicators. Click-through rate, add-to-cart rate, cost per product and whether tests reach meaningful results.
- Days 61-90: business results. New customers, customer acquisition cost, contribution margin and ad spend as a share of total revenue.
For help reading differences between ad platforms and GA4, see why ad platform sales don't match GA4.
Which warning signs should worry you?
Every agency relationship starts with some friction. These signs deserve attention:
- No written audit or plan within the first month.
- Accounts opened under the agency's own business account without giving you ownership.
- Reports made only of ad dashboard screenshots.
- Nobody asks about your margins, stock or promotion calendar.
- Campaign structure changes every week with no explanation.
- A "guaranteed ROAS" or fixed revenue promise in week one.
One of these alone may not end a relationship, but if two or three show up together, have a frank conversation and put expectations in writing. Most problems come from the two sides meaning different things by "success".
What should you do on the brand side?
Half of an agency relationship's success sits with the brand. Approve things quickly, agree up front who makes site changes and tell the agency early about big promotions or stock changes. Example: if the agency hears about a sale two days before it starts instead of fifteen, creative, feed and budget prep won't be ready. Name one internal owner. Every week an agency's questions go unanswered is a week lost from the 90 day plan.
At Performetic we start with a free growth audit and split the first 90 days into the phases above. We describe the approach on our growth strategy service page. If you'd like to see what a 90 day plan would look like for your brand, request a free growth audit.
Key takeaways
- The first 90 days run in three phases: audit, structure and scaling.
- The output of the first 30 days should be a written audit and a prioritized action list.
- Give bid strategies time to learn; frequent restructuring disrupts learning.
- Watch different metrics in each phase: tracking accuracy first, then leading indicators, then business results.
- Grant access from your own admin accounts and keep ownership of every account.